Job Hunting Tips Anyone?

I am a recent graduate student that just passed the NCLEX RN exam. I'm very nervous and sort of lost with this job hunting thing. Would you kindly provide advice? I mean, should I apply for jobs online or directly contact the nurse recruiter at the hospitals I am interested in??

1. make a solid resume. include ur clinical rotations as related nursing experience. make a comprehensive version and make a version u can use per nursing area/specialty. post them in monster.com, indeed.com, careerbuilder.com; tailor make your cover letter per position too and send thank you cards after each interview.

2. get reference/recommendation letters from your Clinical Instructors as part of your resume portfolio.

4. ignore experience required/preferred listed per job posting. just apply to them all. its a numbers game and not too many people are posting looking for new grads.

5. volunteer at a hospital. any hospital exposure helps. looks good on your resume too instead of looking like a bum doing nothing at home. helps you with #6 too.

6. network. try to get to know as many supervisors/managers/staff as u can. if they like u, u may even get first dibs on an available position. despite doing all the stuff above, what got me a job was a reference from nursing supervisor my mother knows. its really not about merit anymore, its all about the people u know.

Apply to anything and everything you come across.
People will have stories of going directly to the unit managers in the hospital helped them get the job, so it may work for some
However I have seen many job ads from larger hospitals that say do not contact them, they will contact you only if interested.
Make copies of your resume find out all the SNF/LTC/ALFs in your area as they are more new grad friendly
Go into those places and apply in person
Look into flu shot clinics, the season isn't over yet
Look into clinics and MD offices as well
Does your state have psych hosptials? That is where the majority of my class got jobs, many have moved on
and don't forget jails and prisions
Keep applying for your dream job, but any nursing experience will help pay the bills

Focus on doing as much as you can in-person. Job fairs, volunteering, or any other chances to get yourself face-to-face with hiring managers is what you want to really push yourself to do as much as possible. That's how I got my job as a new-grad and how many of my classmates did as well.

You can also join nursing organizations, or at least attend their meetings. Do whatever you can to get opportunities to network and hand your resume physically to people. Online works sometimes (I got a few interviews that way) but it's not the best way at all.

Meeting people in-person lets them get an idea that you are very serious about wanting to work and that you're not just another person dumping 50+ copies of online apps into their pile every day. In this market you gotta stand out.

Thanks a lot for all of your inputs. I appreciate it. It's sad but true that in this economy it's not so much what you know but who you know. I have gotten letters from previous employers, accountants, and people in the medical field I know. I hope I can land a job soon but of course I am patient and willing do work ANYWHERE. In NYC there are several psych institutions but not too many are new graduate friendly; there are however plenty of clinics and teaching hospitals so hopefully with my resume, a little bit of charm and a whole lot of effort I can land a job. Thanks again for all the tips!